The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-12
WARM POLITICS In JERSEY.
Exciting Scenes Incident to the Organ
izati0n of the General Assembly.
Republicans, Aided by Democratic Boilers,
Capture the Lower House-An Extremely
Complicated Senatorial Situation.
Special to the lndianapoli, Journal.

that the New Jersey Legislature ever expert
enced took place today. in the State-house
Probably nothing in the history of any State
ever equaled it. Party prejudice. personal feel
Ing and dislike overpowered all courtesy and
good-fellowship, and tho Assembly chamber be-
came the scene of most disgracefnl riot. AT
two distinct times mob law prevailed in the
Assembly, and on the second occasion order was
only restored, after a hand-to-hand fight, By a
nasty adjournment The caucus of the Demo
cratic Senators held at the State house at IL
o'clock, and resulted In it's nomination of the
following officers: President j. E. Moon, of
Warren; Secretary, j. H. Laird, of Monmouth;
Assistant Secretary, DR.. Charles Brewer. of
Cumberland; Sergeant-at- arms, John G. Smith.
of Hudson.
The Republican Senators held their caucus at
the Trenton House at the same hour They
nominated for President. Frederick S. Fish, of
Essex; Secretary. r. b. Reading. of Hunterdon;
Assistant Secretary, A. V. D. Honeyman, of
Somerset; Sergeant-at arms, Turkman Richard
son, of Cape May
The Republicans have majority in the Sen
ate and will elect the whole ticket The Re-
publican Assemblymen met in the Senate
Chamber at ii A. N but adjourned at noon
without nominating any officers. The Labor
men Joined neither caucus The Democrats held
their caucus in the Assembly Chamber at IL A.
N. They overreached themselves by forming a
combination of Hudson, Camden and Sussex
counties, and three dissatisfied members. Baird,
from Warren: Wolverton and Arnewene, from
Hunterdon, after expressing their disapproval,
left the caucus and could not be persuaded to
return. The caucus soon adjourned. but reas-
sembled at p NJ. without the disaffected mem
bers
Promptly at o'clock the minority Assembly
men presented themselves at the doors Of the
chamber where the Democratic caucus was be-
ing held and demanded entrance. This
fused but the doors were forced and the Assem-
blymen, backed by a surging crowd, pushed in
to the chamber and filled it, the galleries being
| also filled in an instant with an overwhelming
mass of people. All was confusion. and the
| cries of the chairman, James Beckwith. for
| order and to clear the room, were greeted with
boots and yells Of derision. The spectators ap,
| plauded and acted in an outrageous manner
| urging the minority to stay. When a brief 81
| lence was gained, Mr.. Armstrong. the last
| Speaker of the House, addressed the
| chair, as "Mr Chairman of the Demo
| cratic caucus" and demanded by law their
right to occupy their seats, as o'clock was
| the time of opening legislation. This was de-
MED by the chairman, who said that the law
| specified only the day. not the hour of meeting;
| that the Democratic caucus was not finished,
| and that they proposed to remain until they had
| finished. He then asked the people to retire,
but was only laughed at A wordy battle then
| followed between Armstrong and Noonan,
1 -
| the people, and the House was cleared. The
| Republicans, also. retired.
| Then came the fun. While the Democrats
| continued their caucus and were fixing up their
| ticket. the Republicans got together in the
| Speakers room They secured the disaffected
| Democrats and two labor men, which gave them
| majority and made up the following ticket
DR.. VIM. M. Baird, Democrat, of Warren.
| Speaker; Joseph Atkinson, Democrat Of Essex,
| clerk; j. Herbert Potts, Republican. Of Hudson,
| reading clerk, and Terrence j. Mcdonald indie
| pendent Democrat, of Hudson. sergeant at arms
] After being sworn in the ma ority effected an
entrance to the Assembly chamber, and Chase
| Hill escorted the newly elected Speaker, Dr.
Baird, to the chair, then occupied by Chairman
Beckwth. o! the Democratic caucus, which was
| still in session. DIR. Baird took the seat and
| then began unseemly struggle between Beck
with and Baird. Beckwith tried TO eject Baird
from the chair, but the new Speaker was sur
rounded by. his friends. who maintained
him in his position. In the strug-
gle the chair was thrown from the
platform, and several members engaged in q
| fst-fsht The policemen sent By the Governt
tried TO quiet the disturbance and eject Il
| members; they directed their attention mainl
| to Terrence Mcdonald, the new Se-geant-at-
arms. They succeeded in lifting him from mis-
| feet and were carrying him toward the door,
when he was rescued by his friends Meanwhile
! the struggle on the platform was going on, but
Baird's friends prevailed. and he kept the chair.
In the midst of the riot, Armstrong. at the top
of his voice. made a motion to adjourn. which
was somehow carried to a vote. At this moment
| the doors of the room were burst open and the
| nearly frantic crowd rushed in and from the
mere press of the crowd the battle was stopped.
During nearly all this turmoil the galleries
| were filled with people, who cheered the COM
batapts in the arena below. The defeated Dem
ocrats. now enraved. began to talk in loud tones
and attempted to renew the conflict, but the Re-
pubcans withdrew. followed by large crowds
of congratulating friends, and the Assembly
chamber was soon depopulated.
DR.. Baird said that the Democrats thought
they could get on without him in the morning
but found their mistake. He was highly elated
upon him ioyously
Mcdonald says that the officers who tried to
eject him--the lawfully elected and sworn Ser
geant the demand of the unsworn
minority, will suffer for It, The triumphant
side are iubisnt and the hotel corridors are
thronged with politicians The House meets to-
morrow at 10 o'clock, when another lively time
is expected.
after roll-cail. No business of any kind was
transacted to-day. The present state of affairs
makes Governor Abbetts chances very slim.
and General Sewell is very confident of success
Few willing to venture opinion on the sit
uation.
DR. Baird is from Washington n J., was
n born at knowiton N. j.. in 1849, and was con-
spicuous in frontier explorations before he be-
came physician.
A Democratic caucus was in session two hours
tonight. Great secrecy WAS observed, and all
that can be learned is that the caucus will meet
again in the morning DR.. Baird. in answer to
a question as to his opinion of the senatorial
contest, said: There have been no pledges
made" He would say more except that,